Tornadoes in December are unusual, but not unheard of. Yet the distance of the destructive path for a single twister during this weekend’s deadly weather broke a century-old record. Warm weather on Friday was a crucial factor as tornadoes chewed up parts of at least five states, but whether the long-run impacts of climate change is a factor is not quite as clear, and research is still evolving. Some scientists say that the atmospheric conditions that give rise to such outbreaks are intensifying in the winter, extending so-called tornado season, as the planet warms. What’s more, “tornado alley” is shifting to states farther east from the Plains states that are notorious for twisters.
By Rachel Koning Beals. MarketWatch. December 13, 2021.
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